Korean talks collapse

The talks had been taking place for 5 days at the Mount Kumgang resort in Northern Korea. It was interrupted without results on November 13th due to the rising tension between the two countries since South Korea announced a state of alert for its armed forces.

South Korea declared the state of alert after the September 11th terrorist attacks in the USA. However, Pyongyang took this as a provocation and claimed that these were military manoeuvres aimed at placing pressure on North Korea.

As a consequence, the 40th family meeting was called off in October. This is a meeting between family members who had not seen each other since the Korean War ended in 1953, with both countries divided.

Hong Soon-young, the South Korean Unification Minister, complained that this was another lost opportunity. He declared that South Korea was ready to reach an understanding with the North on security issues but that it was important at this moment in time to declare the state of alert, although this had nothing to do with North Korea.